research paper about domestic violence in the philippines

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• v.23; 2022 Jun

Violence against women in the Philippines: barriers to seeking support

Isabel kristine m. valdez.

a College of Medicine, University of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines

Ma.Veronica Pia N. Arevalo

Janine patricia g. robredo.

b Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health, Pasig City, Philippines

Sabrina Laya S. Gacad

c Center for Women's and Gender Studies, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines

Marie Aubrey J. Villaceran

Gertrudes r. libang.

d General Assembly Binding Women for Reforms, Integrity, Equality, Leadership, and Action (GABRIELA), Quezon City, Philippines

Edelina P. Dela Paz

e Social Medicine Unit, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines

Krissi Shaffina Twyla A. Rubin

f Center for Gender Equality & Women's Human Rights, Commission on Human Rights, Quezon City, Philippines

Michelle Ann B. Eala

g College of Medicine, University of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines, 547 Pedro Gil Street, Manila, 1000, Philippines

The Philippines is among one of the most gender-equal countries in the Western Pacific region.​​ 1 Nevertheless, it is evident that the sociocultural landscape lags behind: one in four Filipino women has experienced gender-based violence, and 41% of victims do not seek help. 2 Despite existing laws and a widespread local anti-violence against women (VAW) movement, multiple barriers to help-seeking exist, and it is ultimately the economic, sociopolitical and cultural structures in the Philippines hindering VAW victims from seeking support.

Like in other Asian countries, Filipino women are stifled by a patriarchal society emphasizing male dominance in family structures and larger social institutions. 3 Traditionally, Filipino men are household heads and breadwinners; women are deemed subservient, hence economic abuse is common in VAW cases, 4 and a high acceptance of justified wife beating exists. 2 Women's pleasures are considered objects to pursue or control, hence they are regarded as a vulnerability. Few women seek help because of expectations to be self-sacrificing, thus giving up safety and security in favor of family reputation. Defying gender norms invites objectification, shame, guilt, and even justification of violence, hence the culture of victim-blaming. 3

Through public debasing of women, condoning rape jokes and sexual remarks, openly harassing female supporters, associating femininity with weakness, and encouraging the military to “shoot women ‘communist rebels’ in the vagina,” the current administration under President Duterte personifies sexism, shaping society's perception of women. This misogyny is tolerated by many citizens, including some women of power. Coined “feminists of convenience,” these individuals advocate women's rights yet remain silent about the President's behavior for personal and family gains and to avoid political backlash. 3 In their silence, the culture of impunity prevails.

It is apparent that women's rights is not the administration's priority, and this manifests systemically through complex referral pathways, fragmented documentation systems, and a slow judicial process. With stringent policies (curfews, checkpoints, and rationed quarantine passes) restricting mobility, this unsettling reality has intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. VAW victims are trapped in their homes, unable to seek help and alternative shelter. 5 Escalation of VAW-related and help-seeking internet search activity is not coincidental. 6 Moreover, health, social, and legal services are largely inaccessible, a situation exacerbated by the diversion of national resources to the pandemic response. Reproductive health services are disrupted by 77-85%, 7 and the adolescent birth rate is 31 per 1000 women. While 10.1% of all live births occur in the 15-19 age group, only 3.2% of these are sired by men of the same age, 8 suggesting duress and power imbalance. 9

Also vulnerable are women facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, such as transgender women, indigenous women, women with disabilities, poverty-stricken women, and internally displaced women. The additional barriers of stigma, discrimination, State neglect, and harassment from law enforcers contribute to their distrust in the system, making them less likely to report to the police. 5 , 7 Poverty and job insecurity aggravate the situation: women resort to prostitution, and online classes compound the risk of children's sexual exploitation with increased internet exposure. 5 , 11

With the pandemic further threatening women's safety, the priority is ensuring functional, responsive, and accessible VAW responses that are survivor-centered and trauma-informed. Community-based first responders should still be reachable during quarantine. Healthcare providers must be trained for selective enquiry and first-line support of survivors.Referral pathways should be simplified to expedite care and assistance: upon identification of victims, a blanket referral to sexual and reproductive health providers, psychiatric aid, legal assistance, protective shelters, and livelihood assistance can be made. Establishing an active, centralized VAW surveillance system must take into consideration mobility under community restrictions. More accessible communication channels, like social media, must be made available and maximized. Marginalized women should be included in surveillance and protected in legislation, and VAW survivors should be consulted to improve service delivery.

Organizing women, educating them of their rights, promoting rights to pleasure and safety, and encouraging help-seeking behaviors while changing policies that increase vulnerability to VAW will foster women empowerment. Ensuring full implementation of the Magna Carta of Women 10 is imperative in eliminating discrimination. This includes changing gender bias norms, non-discriminatory employment, leave benefits, equal opportunity for education and training, increased information access, and more women in leadership roles to advocate policy reform. Women prefer getting help from their community, 11 hence community-based reporting and response systems should be strengthened in conjunction with bystander education to change sociocultural norms that condone VAW. Ultimately, institutional cultures perpetuating VAW must be tackled with interdisciplinary and intersectoral social and public health interventions, and the community must work hand-in-hand with an accountable government to end VAW in the Philippines.

Contributors

IKMV and MVPNA were in charge of literature search, data analysis, interpretation, and writing. IKMV, MVPNA, JPGR, MABE, SLSG, MAJV, GRL, EDP, and KSTAR all worked to revise and review the manuscript.

Declaration of interests

We declare no conflicts of interest.

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Violence Against Women Research Database

The philippines.

The presentation uses case studies from Bulgaria and the Philippines to analyze the effectiveness of CEDAW on a state-level. 

In September 2011, a woman by the name of Shiela Macapugay hid a .38 caliber gun in the lining of her bag that was undetected by the security in the mall where her husband was working. She fired a fatal shot at her husband and in her attempt to kill herself immediately thereafter, also killed the security guard who tried to stop her from committing suicide.

The demise of Macapugay’s husband was not a simple but common occurrence. Her husband abandoned her and their child to be with another woman, and denied them of support. These are acts of violence against women protected by Republic Act No. 9262, otherwise known as the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act of 2004. Sheila Macapugay is now facing charges of both parricide and murder for the tragedy. If convicted, she will suffer a fate of imprisonment, reclusion perpetua. Fortunately, because of RA 9262, she has a defense available. Her counsel may present evidence that she was suffering from Battered Woman Syndrome (BWS), a justifying circumstance under RA 9262.

  Notably, years ago before there was RA 9262, a policewoman, who was battered by her husband, shot him. She pleaded guilty, and years later, was released on parole. Such case would have been a good test case for BWS as a defense but there was no RA 9262 then. This paper will discuss the legal concepts, as well as the issues and problems of BWS as a legal defense, and the role of psychiatrists, psychologists, barangay officials and counselors. Macapugay’s case has been witnessed by society and jurisprudence since time immemorial, and now, it is a good test case to use the innovations created in RA 9262.

http://www.genderit.org/resources/submission-upr-women-s-access-justice-...

The submission to the UPR process elaborated by the Women´s Legal and Human Rights  Bureau, Inc from the Philippines addresses the issue of women’s access to justice in the country, which highlights technology-related violence against women  (VAW) as an emerging form of VAW. The submission also looks at the gaps and challenges in available domestic remedies to survivors of violence and abuse against women online, criticizing that existing laws on VAW do not guarantee the prosecution of technology-related VAW. It further highlights the importance of women’s access to the internet  and their representation in policy  processes as integral to their right to access to justice.

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/jurisprudence.htm

CEDAW/C/46/D/18/2008

In 1996, Karen Tayag Vertido worked as Executive Director of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines.  She filed a complaint against the then President of the Chamber, Jose B. Custodio, accusing him of raping her.  She alleged that the accused offered her a lift home following a business meeting one evening and that, instead, raped her in a nearby hotel.

Ms Vertido subsequently submitted a communication to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee).  She alleged that the acquittal of Mr Custodio breached the right to non-discrimination, the right to an effective remedy, and the freedom from wrongful gender stereotyping, in violation of articles 2(c), 2(d), 2(f) and 5(a) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

http://www.amnesty.org.ph/reports/

Violence against women (VAW), in its various forms – physical, psychological and sexual – continues to be pervasive in the Philippines. Violence against women by State actors was highlighted at the time of martial rule when detained women suffered sexual abuse, torture and other ill-treatment. The human rights issue was largely viewed as State violence, and minimal attention was given to VAW by non-State actors or private individuals, particularly in inter-relational contexts. 

Since   1995,   violence   against   women   (VAW)   has   captured   the attention  of the  government  and  legislators  in  the  Philippines  as  a  result  of the  demand  of  a  growing  women’s  human  rights  movement  and  the  State Obligation  of  the  Philippine  Government  under  the  Convention  on  the Elimination  of  All  Forms  of  Discrimination  Against  Women,  its  Optional Protocol as well as other international conventions. The Beijing Conference on Women in 1995 heightened the demand of women’s rights advocates for laws protecting women from violence all over the world.

Progressive reforms in laws protecting women  were brought about by several factors beginning with the democratization process that started in the 1986 People Power  Revolution after the fall of the Marcos dictatorship, the  1987  Constitution  that  has  specific  provisions  on  the  rights  of  women and fundamental equality before the law of men and women, the increasing number  of  women’s  organizations  in  the  provinces  with  links  to  Metro Manila based women’s human rights organizations, and the participation of women  legislations  who  are  becoming  increasingly  aware  of  the  need  for gender  equality  and  the  elimination  of  VAW.  This  period  marks  the contribution  of  women  legislators  who  were  elected  in  the  1992  elections and thereafter.

Since 1995, violence against women (VAW) has captured the attention of the government and legislators in the Philippines, propelled by the demand of a growing women’s human rights movement and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, its Optional Protocol as well as other international conventions. The Beijing Conference on Women in 1995 heightened the demand of women’s rights advocates for laws protecting women from violence.

Progressive reforms in laws protecting women was brought about by several factors beginning with the democratization process that began in the 1986 People Power Revolution after the fall of the Marcos dictatorship, the 1987 Constitution that has specific provisions on the rights of women and fundamental equality before the law of men and women, the increasing number of women’s organizations in the provinces with links to Metro Manila based women’s rights organizations, and the participation of women legislations who are becoming increasingly aware of the need for gender equality and the elimination of VAW. This period marks the contribution of women legislators who were elected in the 1988 elections and thereafter. 

http://www.usaid.gov/gsearch/philippines%2Bnational%2Bsurvey%2B2008

Document is top result

The National Statistics Office (NSO) is pleased to present this final report on the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). The survey is the ninth in a series of surveys conducted every five years since 1968 designed to assess the demographic and health situation in the country. The 2008 NDHS provides basic indicators on fertility, childhood mortality, contraceptive knowledge and use, maternal and child health, nutritional status of mothers and children, and knowledge, attitude and behavior regarding HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. For the first time, data on violence against women were collected in this round of the DHS. Fieldwork for the 2008 NDHS was carried out from August 7 to September 27, 2008 covering a national sample of approximately 13,000 households and 14,000 women aged 15 to 49 years.

Trafficking in persons, especially in women and children, is a highly lucrative business worldwide. Millions of women and girls, mostly from poor countries, are trafficked globally into the sex industry. They are traded as objects or goods to be used like any commodity. This human rights problem has been the subject of  various international instruments, including, notably, the 1949 Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others. Trafficking victimizes mostly women and girls because of gender discrimination and their vulnerability.

In response to this problem, many countries have signed or acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which obliges States to pass laws to stop trafficking. The Philippines ratified this convention in 1981. These international instruments notwithstanding, trafficking continues unabated, with syndicates preying on vulnerable women and children from developing countries like the Philippines, Cambodia and Thailand. It thrives as a very lucrative business because there is an existing demand for cheap labor, sex slaves, and organs of human beings. Traffickers take advantage of the lack of laws and inadequate government policies, poor law enforcement, corruption in government, political and economic conditions of the countries of origin, as well as the domestic situations of their target  victims.

http://www.omct.org/rights-of-the-child/reports-and-publications/philipp...

Writing alternative reports is one of the main activities of the OMCT and a vital source of information for the members of the Human Rights Committee. With these reports, it is possible to see the situation as objectively as possible and take a critical look at government action to eradicate torture.

Under the aegis of the European Union and the Swiss Confederation, the “Special Procedures” program presented this report on state violence and torture in the Philippines at the 79th session of the Human rights Committee, which took place in Geneva from 20th October to 7th November 2003 and during which the Government’s report of the Philippines was examined.

The study is divided into three parts. Part I provides a general overview of torture and inhuman or degrading treatments (in prisons in particular) committed by state officials. Parts II and III deal with torture and inhuman or degrading treatments of women and children respectively. This rather novel approach sheds light on the situation of particularly vulnerable groups of people. The Human Rights Committee’s Concluding Observations and Recommendations adopted following examination of the Filipino Government’s Report are included in the Appendices.

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Violence Against Women in the Philippines

2018, Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research

The issue of violence against women is evident among the crimes committed in the Philippines so this study was conducted in order to consolidate and draw a clear condition of violence against women in the Philippines. The focal point of this study is to determine the state of violence against women in the Philippines by recognizing the contributing factors, its perpetrators, number of cases and forms of abuses. There were two research procedures used in establishing the study: series of face-to-face interviews with authorities in the field of violence against women and supported by the analysis of the data gathered from the Philippine National Police (PNP). Through an extensive review, the researchers opt for women’s group representatives, consultant on women's affairs, Philippine National Police (PNP) officials, Women and Child Protection Center (WCPC) officials and barangay women’s desk officers as the key informants. An interview guide constructed by the researchers was used in the interviews while a coding sheet was accustomed in the analysis of the secondary data. The results showed that family, economic and social factors already exist in the Filipino community that causes occurrence of violence on women in different setting. Upon the in-depth analysis, socio-cultural and socio-political factors were also found contributing to the existence of the phenomenon.

Related Papers

International Journal of Social Science and Human Research

Julie Quilatan

Violence against women appear to be one of the country’s pervasive problems. According to the 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, one in every four Filipino women age 15 to 49 has experienced domestic violence and despite the efforts to put an end to the issue, VAW persist. This study provides an in-depth and intensive account about the experiences of woman victim of domestic violence in Samar. From the interview conducted, results revealed four themes: sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional and psychological abuse, and economic abuse. The welfare of the children is always the mothers’ priority. Thus, despite the abuse experienced, women stay in the relationship in the hope that the relationship can be saved for the sake of the children.

Journal of Educational and Human Resource Development

Jabin Deguma , Vicente Igot

The Philippine Commission on Women furthered campaign in promoting gender equality in the Philippines which has been a socio-cultural issue over the past years. The strict implementation of the law may have caused Filipino women to speak up and report abuses against them. The study determined the model for the trends, a sample forecast for the next 10 years, and relatedness of the reported crime of violence against women and the Gender Gap Index (GGI) in the Philippines. It retrieved data from the reports of the Philippines Statistics Authority and of the World Economic Forum from 2006 to 2017 through data mining. This study employed descriptive methods via time trend analyses using Minitab R and Symbolic Regression using Eureqa Pro. Using time trend analysis, the reported cases of violence against women fits the Quadratic Trend Model (MAD=1968) while the quality of gender equality in the Philippines fits the Linear Trend Model (MAD=0.00306). Both reports are forecasted to be increasing for the next 10 years. The symbolic regression analysis provided a forecasted relatedness of the reported cases of violence against women (R=0.9958, R2=0.9911, MAE=0.00067) to GGI. The reported cases of violence against women have a 73% positive association of increasing GGI. Such disclosure supports the necessity of pragmatically real social action from governmental and non-governmental organizations which prevent the occurrence of the crime of violence against women in the future and increase gender equality to promote social welfare as part of the sustainable development goals.

SSRN Electronic Journal

Adrian Tamayo

Jurnal Aisyah : Jurnal Ilmu Kesehatan

josefina B A L U C A N A G bitonio

DISSERTATION ABSTRACT Title : THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN PROTECTION SERVICES OF THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE-CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION Researcher : MELY RITA D. ANAMONG-DAVIS Institution : Lyceum-Northwestern University, Dagupan City Degree : DOCTOR IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION Date : April 5, 2013 Abstract : This research sought to evaluate the provision of services provided by the members of the Women and Children Protection Desk of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Cordillera Administrative Region . The descriptive-evaluative research design was used in this study with the questionnaire, interviews as the data- gathering tool in the evaluation of the WCPD of the PNP services rendered to the victims-survivors of violence in the Cordillera Region. The types and statistics of cases investigated by the members of the WCPD of the PNP in the Cordillera were provided by the different offices of the WCPD of the PNP particularly the Regional and Provincial Offices. On the other hand, the acquired data from the respondents describes the capability of the WCPD office and personnel, relative to the organizational structure, financial resources, human resources, equipment and facilities; the extent of the mandated services provided for the victims-survivors of violence, level of satisfaction of the WCPD clientele and the problems encountered by the members of the WCPD of the PNP in providing the services to its clientele. Based on the findings, a proposal were formulated to enhance the quality or quantity of the services rendered to the victims of abuses and violence. Two hundred thirty (230) respondents were employed to answer the questionnaire to get the needed data, 160 from the police officers and 70 from the clientele of the WCPD. In the treatment of the data, SPSS version 20 was used in the analysis of data, Paired t-test for the determination of the significant difference in the perceptions of the two groups of respondents on the extent of provision of the mandated services by the WCPD of the PNP in the Cordillera and Spearman rank correlation for determining the level of satisfaction of the victims-survivors related to their perception on the extent of services provided by the Women and Children Protection Desk of the PNP. The findings of the study were the following: 1) Cases handled by the members of the WCPD of the PNP are physical injuries, violation of RA 9262, Rape and Acts of lasciviousness are the myriad cases committed against women; for crimes against children, rape, physical injuries, other forms of RA 7610 and acts of lasciviousness ; and for the crimes committed by the Children in Conflict with the law theft and robbery for intent to gain and material gain, physical injuries, rape and acts of lasciviousness are the majority they committed. The fact of this case is that 16 children were involved in the commission of rape where the youngest perpetrator is 7 years old. 2. On the capability of the members of the WCPD of the PNP, police officers believed that WCPD investigators are capable in providing the services to the victims of violence while the clientele respondents states otherwise that on some point along capability on human resources states that the number of police women assigned with the WCPD of the PNP is not sufficient to provide the services to its clientele. 3. On the extent of the mandated services provided to the victims-survivors of violence by the members of the WCPD of the PNP, perceptions of the police officers that to a great extent the members of the WCPD provide the services while the perceptions of the clientele is just on average extent on the services provided to them. 3.1. On the significant difference in the perceptions of the two groups of respondent on the extent of provision of the mandated services by the WCPD of the PNP in the Cordillera, there is a significant difference in the perception of the two groups of respondents on the extent of mandated services provided by the WCPD of the PNP in the Cordillera. The result indicates that the performance of the WCPD in rendering service is inadequate in the perception of its clients. 4) The satisfaction level of the clientele on the extent of services provided by the WCPD of the PNP is just moderate. This validates the result of the extent of the mandated services provided to the victims-survivors of violence by the WCPD investigators to be just on average. 5. On the level of satisfaction of the victims-survivors related to their perception on the extent of services provided by the Women and Children Protection Desk of the PNP revealed that WCPD clients is higher with greater extent of services being rendered by the WCPD. It indicates that the WCPD of the PNP in Cordillera should strive more to really fulfill the needed services to be provided with its clients. Likewise, on the level of satisfaction of the victims-survivors related to the capability of the WCPD of the PNP Cordillera in providing their mandated services disclosed that the more capable of the WCPD of the PNP in Cordillera will definitely provide an intense delivery of services to its clients. 7) Lastly, for the problems encountered by the WCPD of the PNP in providing services the following are considered a) no imagery tool kit purposely for the children’s victim to illicit information regarding the incident; b) the insufficient number of female police officers to investigate cases of women and children; c) lack of training of WCPD officers in handling VAWC cases and other gender-based crimes and d) service vehicle purposely for WCPD use only. Based on the findings and conclusion, the following recommendations are offered. 1. The propose strategies to enhance the services provided to the victims-survivors by the WCPD investigators must be intensely implemented: 1.a. There should be budgetary allocations for WCPD to enhance their capability to provide services and to fulfill the satisfaction of their clientele. 1.b. Increase the number of the female police officers assigned with the WCPD to sustain the 24/7 availability of investigators. 1.c. There should be a continuous conduct of specialized training on the Investigation of Crimes involving Women and children to all WCPD officers to include policemen for conclusive delivery of services for the victims of violence. 1.d. Purchase of the imagery tool kit purposely for the children’s victim of sexual abuse to illicit information regarding the incident.1.e. Issuance of service vehicle purposely for the Women and Children Protection Desk.1.f. Provide computer sets for WCPD.1.g. Provide communication equipment to be issued with the WCPD. 1.h. To improve the quality and consistency of WCPD services, a constant monitoring scheme and or clientele feedback should be implemented to understand the ways that service can be improved. 1.i. Develop and sustain the collaborative effort of the multidisciplinary team to meet the specific protocol designed to meet the needs of the victims of violence.1.j. To prevent new victims of violence, there should be a persistent campaign through advocacy and the education of the community in every barangay in coordination with the different member agencies. 2. A follow-up study should be conducted to cover other areas particularly target respondents on the level of satisfaction on the services provided for the victims of violence which is the main purpose of the establishment of the Women and Children Protection Desk.

This forum is being held in the area which is known today as Musgrave Park; a domain which has been a traditional gathering place of Aboriginal people for thousands of centuries. We are mindful of the significance of this place and we acknowledge and pay respect to the indigenous people who care for and love this land so dearly. We make our presentation to this forum in memory of the women who lived and died here.

Acta Medica Philippina

Russian Journal of Agricultural and Socio-Economic Sciences

Southeast Asian Journal of Science and Technology

jeffrey de asis

This study aim to ascertain the level of Awareness on Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children in the Municipality of Bayambang. Specifically, this study sought to determine the profile of the respondents in terms of age, sex, civil status, highest educational attainment, monthly income, number of children and occupation/profession; as well as the level of awareness on the implementation of RA 9262 in terms of the following: nature/character of the law; acts constituting violence against women and their children; and filing process penalties, and consequences. The researchers applied descriptive method using the questionnaire as the main data gathering to ascertain the level of awareness on the implementation of RA 9262 in the Municipality of Bayambang. The respondents perceived the existence of RA 9262 in the Municipality of Bayambang as "Aware". Furthermore, the Local Government Unit in the Municipality of Bayambang should continue to intensify the implementation of RA 9262 to protect the women and children particularly the young ones and defenseless through the initiative of barangay officials, DSWD and the Children and Women's Desk Section of the PNP.

Mouna Yangnmali

This report introduces the Literature Review and the Methodology on the experiences of women and girls from developing countries around the world including Papua New Guinea (PNG) whose lives have been adversely impacted by male perpetrated violence. While drawing the reader’s attention to the plight of the women and girls affected by male generated violence, the report attempts to provide alternative solutions or interventions that the PNG Government could adopt to reduce or eliminate violence by men against women and girls. The reports suggests developing the capacity of the relevant agencies and stakeholders within the PNG government system, the private sectors and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s) to address the growing culture of violence committed against women and girls by men. The report focuses on analyzing the capacity and institutional gaps in organizations in PNG that deal with issues for women who have been subjected to all forms of violence executed by men. The reports reviews a ground breaking report from the Law Reform Commission of Papua New Guinea, and examines what may be termed as a feminist framework for addressing violence against women, as it applies to circumstances in PNG, and examines other specific literature relating to this. Additionally, the report examines literature on current support services for women in PNG including the drive to educate women to make them aware of their constitutional rights and to speak out against such violence and report the perpetrators.

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Domestic violence in the Philippines - statistics & facts

The state of domestic abuse, empowering women from abuse, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Number of cases of violence against women and children Philippines 2016-2022

Share of women and girls victims of physical abuse Philippines 2017-2022

Share of women and girls victims of sexual violence Philippines 2017-2022

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Current statistics on this topic.

Government Finances

Approved budget for Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) FY 2015-FY 2024

Violent Crime

Number of rape cases Philippines 2020-2022

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• Demographics of the Philippines
• Crime in the Philippines
• Mental health in the Philippines

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Number of reported cases of violence against women and children in the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 (in 1,000s)

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Women accessing ER because of violence cases in Italy 2021, by access outcome

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Share of women who have experienced domestic violence APAC 2019, by country

Share of women who have ever experienced physical or sexual violence from a partner in the Asia-Pacific region as of 2019, by country

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Share of people saying violence against women has increased in the past year in North Africa between 2021 and 2022, by gender and country

Physical or sexual violence against women in Africa 2018

Percentage of women in relationships subjected to physical and/or sexual violence by a current or former partner in the previous 12 months in Africa as of 2018

Prevalence of violence against women in Morocco 2019, by age

Prevalence of violence committed against women in Morocco as of 2019, by age

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Number of cases of protection orders issued against spousal violence in Japan from 2013 to 2022

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Number of emergency room admissions for women with diagnosis of violence in Italy from 2017 to 2022

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Share of women who experienced physical violence in the Philippines in 2022, by region

Share of women who experienced physical violence Philippines 2022, by age group

Share of women who experienced physical violence in the Philippines in 2022, by age group

Share of women who experienced physical violence Philippines 2022, by education level

Share of women who experienced physical violence in the Philippines in 2022, by education level

Share of women who experienced physical violence Philippines 2022, by perpetrator

Share of women who experienced physical violence in the Philippines in 2022, by perpetrator

Share of women who experienced physical violence Philippines 2022, by marital status

Share of women who experienced physical violence in the Philippines in 2022, by marital status

Share of women victims of political harassment or violence in Bolivia 2022

Share of elected women who report having been victims of political harassment or violence in Bolivia in 2022

Number of deaths as a result of domestic violence in France 2021, by age and gender

Total number of domestic violence-related homicides in France in 2021, by age group and gender

Share of women and girls who were victims of sexual violence in the Philippines in 2017 and 2022

Share of women and girls victims of psychological violence Philippines 2017-2022

Share of women and girls who were victims of psychological violence in the Philippines in 2017 and 2022

Physical domestic violence cases against offspring in Belgium 2008-2022

Registered cases of physical domestic violence against offspring in Belgium from 2008 to 2022

UK women witnessing online violence 2023, by country

Women in the United Kingdom (UK) on witnessing online violence as of February 2023, by country

Number of women abuse victim-survivors assisted by DWSD Philippines 2018-2022

Number of women survivors of physical, sexual, and psychological violence assisted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Philippines in 2018 and 2022

Number of murder suspects in gender violence against women by age group Spain 2022

Total number of murder suspects in gender violence against women in Spain in 2022, by age group

Share of women who sought help after abuse Philippines 2022

Share of women who sought help after experiencing violence in the Philippines in 2022

Share of women who sought help after abuse Philippines 2022, by source

Share of women who sought help after experiencing both physical and sexual violence in the Philippines in 2022, by source

Forms of physical and/or sexual violence against women in France 2012-2020

Distribution of sexual and/or physical violence against women by their spouse or former spouse in France from 2012 to 2020, by type of violence

Share of women and girls who were victims of physical violence in the Philippines in 2017 and 2022

Total of addressed concerns involving women's rights violations Indonesia 2016-2021

Number of complaints handled pertaining to women's rights violations and violence against women in Indonesia from 2016 to 2021

Women victims of physical violence and/or domestic violence in France 2014-2020

Average number of women experiencing sexual and/or physical violence by their spouse or former spouse each year in France from 2014 to 2020, by type of aggression (in 1,000s)

Proportion of women among domestic violence victims in France 2021

Share of women among victims of spousal violence in France in 2021, by type of violence

Victims of gender abuse under protection in Spain 2022, by relationship

Number of women under gender violence protection schemes or precautionary measures in Spain in 2022, by relationship of respondent with the victim

Prevalence of violence from partners among women in Indonesia 2021 by type

Types of violence experienced by women who ever had a husband or intimate partner in Indonesia in 2021

Reported rate of crime against women in India 2022, by state

Rate of crime against women reported across India in 2022, by state

Crime rate against women India 2015-2021

Rate of crimes against women in India from 2015 to 2021 (per 100,000 females)

Share of crime against women to overall crime in India 2015-2021

Share of crime against women to overall crime in India from 2015 to 2021

Number of victims of domestic violence in Finland 2012-2022, by gender

Number of victims of domestic violence in Finland from 2012 to 2022, by gender

Number of victims of domestic violence in Finland 2012-2022

Number of victims of domestic violence in Finland from 2012 to 2022

Number of spousal violence counseling cases Japan FY 2013-2022

Number of consultations at the Spousal Violence Counseling and Support Centers in Japan from fiscal year 2013 to 2022 (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic violence recorded incidences in Portugal 2013-2022

Number of recorded incidences of domestic violence in Portugal from 2013 to 2022

Domestic violence recorded incidences in Portugal 2022, by degree of kinship

Share of recorded incidences of domestic violence in Portugal in 2022, by degree of kinship between victim and accused

Cases of violence against firefighters and emergency service workers Germany 2022

Cases of violence against firefighters and other emergency service workers recorded by the police in Germany from 2018 to 2022

England and Scotland: making online violence a crime 2023, by gender

Adults in England and Scotland who believe that online violence should be made a criminal offence as of February 2023, by gender

Sexual violence cases against offspring in Belgium 2008-2022

Registered cases of sexual violence against offspring in Belgium from 2008 to 2022

Number of women fatalities due to gender violence by age group Spain 2022

Total number of women fatalities due to gender violence in Spain in 2019 to 2022, by age group

Number of contact crimes committed against women in South Africa 2022/2023, by type

Number of contact crimes committed against women in South Africa in 2022/2023, by type

Number of complaints and resignations due to political violence in Bolivia, 2016-2023

Number of complaints and resignations due to harassment and political violence registered in Bolivia from 2016 to 2023

Biggest attendances in domestic women's soccer 2023

Highest-attended domestic women's soccer games as of May 2023

Share of people who were victims of physical domestic violence Netherlands 2022

Share of respondents who were victims of physical domestic violence in the past 12 months in the Netherlands in 2022

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Republic of the Philippines Philippine Commission on Women

Violence Against Women

Violence against women (VAW) appears as one of the country’s pervasive social problems. According to the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, 17.5% of Filipino women aged 15-49 have experienced any form of physical, sexual, and emotional violence from their intimate partners. As of 2021, there were 8,399 reported cases of physical violence, 1,791 on rape, and 1,505 on acts of lasciviousness. It is alarming that despite addressing the concern, VAW persists.

VAW is deemed to be closely linked with the unequal power relation between women and men, otherwise known as “gender-based violence.” Societal norms and traditions dictate people think that men are the leaders, pursuers, and providers and take on the dominant roles in society. At the same time, women are the nurturers, men’s companions, and supporters, and they take on subordinate roles in society. This perception leads men to gain more power over women. Hence, VAW becomes a form of men’s expression of control over women to retain power.

As defined by the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993 ), VAW is “any act of gender-based violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public and private life. Gender-based violence is any violence inflicted on women because of their sex.”

According to Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004 , VAW is “any act or a series of acts committed by any person against a woman who is his wife, former wife, or against a woman with whom the person has or had a sexual or dating relationship, or with whom he has a common child, or against her child whether legitimate or illegitimate, with or without the family abode, which result in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological harm or suffering, or economic abuse including threats of such acts, battery, assault, coercion, harassment or arbitrary deprivation of liberty.”

VAW includes, but is not limited to, the following acts:

• Physical violence or the act that includes bodily harm
• Sexual violence or the act that is sexual in nature, committed against a woman or her child
• Psychological violence or the act or omission that causes or is likely to cause mental or emotional suffering of the victim
• Economic abuse or the act that makes or attempts to make a woman financially dependent

In the Philippines, some realities that contribute to the vulnerability of Filipino women to VAW are being accused as “naggers” or neglectful of their duties as a wife that is why they are being beaten by their spouses or being raped due to their “flirtatious” ways; in some instances, filing for sexual harassment is interpreted by her employer as being malicious on the appreciation of her good looks.

Moreover, an even more significant problem is the lack of concrete information to show the extent of VAW in the country, as many cases of violence against women often go unreported due to women victims’ “culture of silence.” Many of the victims are ashamed to relate their experiences. In contrast, others tend to dismiss their ordeal due to their lack of faith in the country’s justice system caused by frustrations over the lack of results in filing complaints.

Several government mechanisms have already been put in place to address VAW. Non-government organizations also take part in this crusade. It is uncertain when this trend will diminish in the Philippine setting, but as long as current efforts to fight VAW are sustained, hope could be set high.

Impacts of VAW

VAW strikes the personhood of women

It does not only affect women’s physical and reproductive health but especially their mental and emotional state. It has caused women to feel ashamed and lose their self-esteem. It threatens women’s personal security.

VAW limits human development

It jeopardizes women’s health and curbs their capacity to participate in social development. Working women’s productivity decreases due to frequent absences resulting from VAW. VAW is responsible for one out of every five healthy days of life lost to women of reproductive age.

VAW further drains the country’s financial resources

The Philippines spent an estimated P6 billion pesos in 2002 to treat VAW survivors. This amount covered the medical treatment of VAW injuries, psychological therapies and programs for survivors, maintenance of shelters, cost of legal and court proceedings to prosecute perpetrators, training costs of service providers, and other indirect social costs to family members of VAW survivors and perpetrators.

VAW is an issue of governance

A state promotes good governance when it makes effective remedies available to eliminate VAW in the homes, communities, and the state.

Mechanisms to Address VAW

• Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and their Children
• Inter-Agency Council Against-Trafficking
• Local Committee on Anti-Trafficking and VAW
• Barangay VAW Desk

VAW Hotlines

• VAW Hotlines during Community Quarantine
• VAW Service Providers in Region 7
• Hotlines for Overseas Filipino Workers
• VAW Helplines (Per Region)
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